Entries with the tag: nyi point blank

When some 10,000 fans showed up at Nassau Coliseum on June 26 to watch on the video scoreboard as the Islanders chose John Tavares No. 1 at the N.H.L. draft in Montreal, it showed there were a lot more loyal Islanders supporters than most outside observers realized.

Loyal fans were up in arms in late July when the Islanders, who had been making budget cuts since January, told Botta they would reduce their financial commitment to Point Blank. After Botta announced it on the blog, there were online petitions supporting him that had more than 1,500 total signatures.

Last week Botta began a freelance assignment that he said he owed to the popularity of Point Blank, writing regularly about the N.H.L. for AOL FanHouse.

Dey said that the Islanders hoped Botta could find backing for Point Blank because “we’d love to see it continue with Chris’s commitment, passion and insight.” But if not, Dey added, there “might be an opportunity for another entrepreneur to cover the Islanders in a similar manner.”

Islanders Point Blank is no longer the “team-sponsored blog.” As a result, Point Blank may not be around much longer.

Like just about everything in sports, it’s only business. Nothing personal, and it’s certainly not about anything I’ve written that the franchise may not have loved.

The Islanders were my employer for more than 20 years. Last summer Chris Dey came to me with the idea to have this former longtime team exec blogging 24/7/365 about the Islanders. Quickly, the hockey fans responded and I am forever appreciative. Even before the Islanders drafted John Tavares, Point Blank was receiving in excess of 400,000 unique visitors a month. With the expectation the young players will develop and not come in last in the league again, those numbers would only grow in seasons to come.

We praised, criticized and tried to hold the Islanders accountable in a fair manner. We tried to tell every side of the story and elevate the discussion. We were relentless. You and I know about all the stories discussed here first and most often - about the Lighthouse and the draft and prospects and everything else the mainstream media wasn’t covering. No need to list all the stories we broke, often readers and editor in partnership.

Click here for more on NYI Point Blank. It was certainly a prime-time stop for New York Islander and hockey fans alike. Chris Botta did tremendous work for the organization and we here at Kuka’s Korner wish him nothing but the best going forward.